The Carry Awards – Best Work Messenger

Bedouin somehow manage both a luxury feel and a hardcore vibe. They get traditional fabrics to feel fresh and innovative. They get that whole British thing of looking interesting and quirky in a way that you really want to get to know. And the Barbary is a prime example of this Bedouin charisma.

A classic messenger format is created with traditional waxed canvases and top grain leathers. The Barbary then seals it all in with two bombproof Cobra buckles that hint at its industrial strength.

A soft frame wraps to your body, while a spread shoulder strap nurses the load across your shoulder. The opening is tubed enough to avoid Gorby Gap, and the linings are a highlight within themselves.

Its beautiful, its so beautiful you just want to look at it for ages and appreciate every nuance of its design.

Chuck

No runner ups?

http://www.carryology.com/ ando

We ummm’d and ahhh’d about whether to award runner ups. In the end, we felt that all the nominees were worthy runners up, and for this year, we’d leave the focus on the winners.

Chuck

The winners certainly deserve the spotlight, but how about seeing percentages of actual votes to compare how they all did? I’m sure readers would appreciate seeing the margins, to know how close they came to one another. Thanks.

James

Great messenger…was perfect for my trips abroad over the last year so I’d strongly recommend as a travel bag as well. I can see it being great for a real work messenger but if used for an “office” messenger it’s definitely too big and utilitarian in terms of its setup in my opinion.

http://www.abreption.co.uk Paul Johnson

Its great to see such praise for product made in England and the fact that it is made in England has been slightly overlooked in your appraisal.

http://bedouinfoundry.com/ Silas

Paul should know, he made it.

http://www.coroflot.com/TaylorWelden Taylor Welden

Heya Paul,

Take a look at our Road Test review of the Barbary.http://www.carryology.com/2012/06/22/road-test-bedouin-barbary-messenger-bag/
In this article I really highlight the expert craftsmanship of products Made in England, as well as give a shout-out to you, your shop and your amazing handmade craft specifically. There are even a few photos of you and of your shop ( ;
We love Handmade in England products!

http://www.coroflot.com/TaylorWelden Taylor Welden

A bit of praise here…
“These all come together, stitch by stitch, by the skillful hands of a master craftsmen, Paul and his wife Cynthia. Paul and Cynthia own their own handmade bag/luggage crafting workshop located in Lincolnshire, England. It is a great material and craft story how these different parts traveling in from all of Europe, meet together in this old school workshop, and then become hand sewn together to make a product as nice as the Barbary. Stitch for stitch, everything is perfect. I have an eye for quality control, and there isn’t one mistake on this entire product. Trust me, I’ve looked and tried to find one. This is craft. This is quality. This is handmade. This is why this product costs £390 (around $600 US).

Yep, that’s a bit of money, but I actually think the price is fair, considering what goes into each product. Each of these materials and bits of hardware have a very high price on it. Plus, the high hourly rate of multiple skilled UK artisan craftsmen, renowned for their attention to detail… that is what you’re paying for. That is the type of brand and process I like to support with my money. Plus, they offer a lifetime guarantee “on materials and workmanship from normal wear and tear”, which is a nice bit of insurance.”

What makes this a “work” messenger? It is just a messenger. There is nothing to organise my documents or protect my laptop.
And when was it released? I thought that it was at least a couple years old.

simplefool

The absence of a plethora of internal dividers/pockets makes this bag more versatile, in my opinion. I’ve owned this bag for eight months and it’s without a doubt the best bag I’ve ever used.
I can add/remove modularity internally or externally (to the strap) as my needs dictate – I’m never restricted by an annoying laptop sleeve or other compartment that may otherwise stop me from fitting in bulky or odd-shaped items when I need to. I carry a 15″ laptop in this bag virtually every day, along with other items for riding/work and I’ve never once lamented the lack dedicated internal organsation.
I know organisation is a matter of personal preference but considering I’m pretty OCD about the safety, organisation and accessibility of the items in my bag I can say that, with a little forethought when packing it, internal organisation is far from a necessity with this bag.

P.S. Carryology published the road test for this bag in July 2012, hence it being included in the 2012 awards, I would assume 😉

Nnyan

I agree with you, some may like the “Pile of Stuff” you get without the dividers/pockets but it doesn’t work for most of the people I know in IT. We have a ton of bits and pieces and we need secure pockets to keep organized. This is more geared to those that want a change of clothes, 5 books, make up and a small tool box to fit in their bag.